The group, which has restaurants in Gloucester and Cheltenham, have offered to pay the £65 EU Settlement Scheme fee for its 1,550 non-British members of staff.

The scheme, which was revealed in a widely criticised Home Office video posted on their official social media accounts, revealed all EU citizens living in the UK will need to apply for the right to remain in the UK after June 30, 2021.

But Paul Holcroft, Associate Director at employment law consultancy Croner, has warned that employers should "proceed with caution" and could be indirectly discriminating their other employees.

He claims that employers may capitalise on the uncertainty and demonstrate to the workforce they are valued by offering to pay the fee, however he adds they should be wary of the financial implications of the offer and offering 'selective support' could result in claims of discrimination from both domestic and foreign workers.

Paul Holcroft said: "Whilst there is no obligation, nor expectation, upon employers to pay for the applications, they may find that it will be beneficial in the long run. Employees may be concerned about their job stability going forward, which could have a detrimental effect upon their overall productivity and morale.

"In this uncertain time, offering to cover the application fee can help to demonstrate to the workforce that there are highly regarded and valued, and so increase employee engagement whilst allaying any fears about job security.

"It is also worth considering that an element of competition between employers could be created. If employees know they will have their fee paid for by another employer, it might incentivise them to make the move elsewhere. Both immediate and long-term retention of employees may be assisted by covering the cost of the application."

The British and European Union flags (Image: PA)

"If an employer is considering paying for the applications they should first factor the full cost into their overall budget. It is likely that many EU workers will also have families who will need to apply so the employer will also need to decide if they are going to cover the cost of their applications too.

"Employers can choose to be more selective and only provide payment for some of their workers, for example restricting financial assistance to more senior members of staff, or only those areas of the business where losing staff would have the most detrimental impact on the business, however, they should proceed with caution.

"Offering this assistance to one group of employees in preference of another could lead to a claim of indirect discrimination, potentially resulting in tribunal claims."

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The EU Settlement Scheme is set to be fully rolled out from 30 March 2019, giving all EU nationals to opportunity to obtain clearance that will allow them to remain in the UK. Obtaining clearance will be a legal requirement but it comes at a cost of £65 for adults and £32.50 for children.

CEO of Carluccio's, Mark Jones, explained the reasoning behind the decision based on the restaurant's history.

He said: "There would be no Carluccio’s without one man making the journey from Europe to London.

Carluccios

"Today we employ over 2,300 people from over 80 countries. A large number, just like Antonio, decided to travel from mainland Europe and make their home in the UK.

"We are passionate about the value that they bring to our bring to our business and it is something which we are keen to protect.

"It’s what Antonio would have wanted."

"We appreciate that the current political landscape is unsettling for many of our employees and we want to do everything we can to reassure them that they are part of the Carluccio’s famiglia ."

Antonio Carluccio who has died aged 80

The EU Settlement Scheme video was widely criticised upon its publication by the Home Office; many were angered that the scheme reneged on promises made during the 2016 referendum campaign and for its underlying 'threatening tone' despite the 'cheery' music and smiling actors.

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